Do Me Wrong
by twistedmindundefined
Summary: Business. Pleasure. Dashall Pierce has separated the two, and for his own good. After all, the stakes of a high class, multifaceted business and technological company did not rise over night. Everly Montgomery has a chance to change her career path, but when it involves the one person who could ruin her, does the chance still seem appealing? Can business coincide with pleasure?
1. Prologue

He was romantic but he didn't seduce her. It was something she'd never experienced before. He spilled cautiousness all over her like he was hiding every true intention his eyes had shown her and yet, he was truthful to her, giving her what she wanted. He'd filled her with a kind of lust she'd never ever known and it had only been twelve hours.

She sat up only to find out she couldn't move as much as she wanted to. It was dark and of course, she couldn't see much. Draping her arm over her eyes she inhaled a long breath of air before finally sitting up. She was alone in his bedroom and she couldn't decide how comfortable she was with the current situation at hand.

Slowly, she moved the sheet aside and let her legs swing over the side of the bed. Her feet met cold smooth floor and she stood up. With the sheet wrapped around her, she walked over to the heavy door and pushed it open. Usually, doors like that made noise but nothing sounded around her. She looked around anyway as if opening a silent door disturbed the entire penthouse. It didn't.

The hallway was dark, the living room was dark and while she surveyed her surroundings, she noticed that the glass doors to the rooftop terrace were cracked open.

"Dashall?"

For some reasons, she expected an answer. Maybe because she'd just spent hours sleeping with this guy and waking up to an empty penthouse freaked her out. Still, she wandered closer to the two open glass doors. Pressing her hand against the chrome handle she pushed the door open and stepped outside. Faintly, she could see the silhouette of a human body standing against the railing.

"Dashall?" she asked again.

He turned his head at the sound of her voice but didn't look at her so she took a step closer. It was late, the moon was high in the sky and the dark blanket lit up by millions of diamonds was the only thing that gave her comfort.

She took a step closer and then another one and his head straightened. She noticed his hands on the railing, gripping it as if he were in some kind of pain. He said something she couldn't hear, couldn't understand. Moving closer was her only option.

"What… did you say?"

"This was a mistake."


	2. Chapter 1

Thank god for coffee.

She filled the pot for the fifth time in the last two hours and added twenty-four more scoops of Starbucks dark roast coffee to the pot. Now, all she had to do was wait just a couple minutes and she'd have steaming hot coffee.

The worst thing about being on the bottom of the totem pole was knowing how much she was being relied on as the one who knew just about everything about everyone. Sure, she wrote for her column and she loved doing that. Sure, she had firsthand business experience as the manager of a coffee shop for five months before she got this stupid job. Sure, she had graduated from one of the best schools in the country with a degree in writing and journalism and a minor in business. It didn't mean anything and it bothered her because not only was she _the_ one everyone went to for _everything_ but she was also the one with the most experience in the entire firm and all she wanted was a chance to be the editor of all the important things. She wanted to be the one that everyone relied on for the important things, not… whose coffee she was going to have to pour today or who was calling in sick and what could she do about it.

While her brother was off being the best neuro surgeon at the hospital two blocks away from her she was stuck in a pit of paper and brochures and phone calls and…

"Hey, is the coffee done yet?"

"No, Brian, the coffee isn't done yet but I'll let you know when it is."

Brian Wheeler had become somewhat of a best friend of hers in the last two years as a journalist and writer of her own column for the stupid editorial business firm she'd been working at for the last _three_ years.

"Am I wasting time?"

"What do you mean?" Brian looked at her with curious green eyes.

"Am I wasting my time writing my column? There are job interviews in this building for different positions and I keep acting like they don't exist." She said.

"You have the largest following on your column. I think you're doing great but… if you're bored…"

"I'd have to interview for a higher position."

The coffee pot finished brewing and she let out a sigh and poured the steaming hot black liquid into her mug. She added three sugars and just a little cream while Brian refilled his mug.

"You know who'd be doing the interviews? Pierce."

"How do you know that?"

"Because he interviews everyone for the editorial position. He wants to make sure he's picking the right person."

"We applied for our jobs and got called back by HR a week later saying we got the position."

"He looked at our files and probably watched the DVD."

"What DVD?"

Everly leaned back against the counter and looked around at everyone working. People were talking, things were getting done, and copy machines were jamming. Brian was right, she did have avid readers of her column and if she was going to grow some balls, she'd interview for the editorial job and ASK to keep her column because that's what manipulative people did and that's what she learned in business school. The friend of your friend is your enemy or whatever the phrase was.

"When people go in to talk to supervisors about positions, they're taped. I figure it's because that big guy in charge is too busy to actually interview the scrap himself so he gets the hierarchy to do it."

"You think he's that much of an ass?"

"I think he's rich and smart and doesn't care about us lonely hard workers." Brian said.

"You're probably right."

"I should get back to work. Are you coming?"

"Right behind you."

Everly got home around four that night and even still, she had things to do. Her job was full of what she considered busy work. At least she was getting paid. As she shut the front door behind her, she looked around at the house she and her brother had inherited from their parents. She was greeted by the soft footprints of her black and gray striped cat.

"Kade." She smiled, watching as the cat rubbed up against her leg.

He looked up at her with sparkling green eyes and she bent down to pick him up.

"What did you do today?" she asked as she looked back at what was in front of her.

She'd been doing this the last couple of times she'd entered her house. Looking. Just looking.

In front of her was the massive staircase that led up to the second floor where all the bedrooms were. It was her favorite part of the house, right down to the carpeted stairs and the portraits on the walls. Her parents had this… renaissance taste and the entire house had been decorated to resemble that era. This place was definitely her home.

She walked down the hallway and took a left into the kitchen. Were they going to order out? Was her brother going to be home reasonably early tonight? She sat down at the island and put her bag down in front of her and that's when her phone went off. She let Kade jump from her arms and onto one of the island stools while she pulled her phone from her bag.

_Interviewing 4 edit pos._

She read the text from Brian and sighed. She needed help deciding what to do with her life and she couldn't imagine asking her brother again. It didn't make sense to keep asking people what _they_ thought _she_ should do.

**Sounds interesting. **

_Take a chance?_

**And get turned down? Idts.**

_Everly. You hve to do something big to get somewhere big._

**How long are they interviewing?**

_Tomorrow thr/ Fri. So. You have 6 days._

**Fantastic.**

She put her phone down on the dark marble next to her bag and put her head in her hands. She was bored. She was bored with her life and her three degrees and she didn't know what she wanted to do next. Hell, maybe she should have gone to medical school like her brother. Would that have made a difference?

"Brian wants me to interview for a better position at work." She told the cat. "What do you think?"

She got up from the stool she was sitting on and walked over to the fridge, tugging it open. Hamburger, salads, an abundance of fruit, a jug of cold coffee, left over Chinese food from the night before, cheese, lots of cheese, some vegetables… She shook her head and walked over to the food pantry. That, was stocked too but nothing seemed to appeal to her.

Eventually, after searching through the cabinets and going back to the pantry, she found the makings for cookies and was going to go for a homemade recipe. Sugar cookies were her absolute favorite and the recipe she had in the family cookbook was one that had been passed down through a couple of generations.

Everly laid out all the ingredients on the counter and got to work making sure everything was where she needed it to be. All the dry ingredients went first and then she mixed in the wet ingredients and before she knew it she had nearly forty cookies in the oven. She looked at the clock and was a little surprised she had already been home for close to two hours.

Ten minutes later, the cookies were out of the oven and a half an hour later they were all cooled off and sitting nicely on a plate on the island. She was about to bite into one when…

"Dessert before dinner?"

She turned her head and smiled at her brother as she bit into the cookie in her hand.

"Late night?"

"Could have been later. I had one of the residents take over so that I could come home to you, wonderful sister." He said with a smile on his face. "How was work?"

"Work was insatiable. I can't figure my life out Eric. I don't know why I'm so bored with what I'm doing. I think of you and all I think of is your fabulously satisfying job saving lives and doing amazing surgeries and… Work is work."

"You are so cheerful." He told her.

"I'm serious, Ric. I've been doing the same thing for the last couple of years. I write a column and I write reports that go in the newspaper under the miscellaneous section. I'm not getting anywhere."

"Find another job, nobody said you have to work at the same firm." Her brother told her. "Or you could look through your closet, find an outfit and interview for the editorial position."

Everly bit into another one of the cookies she'd made and twirled a straw around her glass of iced tea.

"Help me."

She was in and out of her closet trying things on while her brother sat in the black arm chair by her dresser. The first outfit was all wrong, right down to the color. It didn't say "job interview" or "professional" so she was onto the next choice.

"I don't want to wear gray, or black, Ric." She said.

"Okay, so wear a dark red… or a blue. A nice blue."

"I have a navy blue skirt."

"Does it have a jacket?"

"It has a jacket." She said.

"Show me."

She grabbed both the skirt and the blazer and held it outside of her closet with one hand while she sifted through the white blouses she owned.

"I don't understand why I got the crap life and yours is amazing."

She heard her brother sigh from inside her closet as she grabbed a white blouse with silver trim. She laid each piece of clothing on top of her dresser and closed her closet doors. Eric stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You don't have a "crap" life, Everly."

"Thank you for helping me pick out my outfit."

Eric pulled his sister into his arms and gave her a tight hug because the last thing he wanted was for her to feel the way she'd been feeling.

"These last five years… have just… been…"

"I know." He said. "But that doesn't mean you can't start living the right way. That ladder is right in front of you and all you have to do is climb it and if they don't like you, you're going to go somewhere else."

Eventually, her brother did get called back into work and unfortunately, the door closing shut on his way out of the house woke her up. Everly turned her head and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. Two A.M. What could she do at two in the morning? Nothing. She rolled onto her side, stretched out in her bed and closed her eyes again only to be stirred once more by the movement of her cat.

An hour later she fell asleep and this time, she didn't wake up until her alarm told her to. Her morning routine was something she'd gotten used to. Walking around the giant house alone, her cat following her as she made herself a cup of coffee and made her way back upstairs to get dressed. Today, she opted out for a pair of tight black jeans, a nice shirt and some heels. She pulled her hair up into a pony tail and curled the ends lightly.

"What do you think? Do I look alright today? Not a total mess?"

Kade blinked at her and jumped up onto her dresser. She ran her hand over his head and down his back. He meowed and she nodded.

"Don't tear up the house today, okay?"

She finished her look with makeup, some jewelry, grabbed her bag and a jacket behind her door just in case. Before she left, she made sure the multiple water bowls around the house were filled and Kade's food dish in the kitchen was stocked with dry food. With the remote on top of the mantel, she turned the radio on. His padded feet made their way down the large staircase. He sat down on the bottom step.

"I'll see you later." She said as she walked over to him.

She bent down to pet him once more and then walked out the front door. She made sure her house was locked before walking down the path to the driveway.

She hit every red light on her way to work and still managed to clock into the building five minutes before she was actually supposed to be there. She snagged a bagel from the lunch room and made her way to her desk which… was the neatest one on the floor. She sat down in her chair and turned around looking out the glass windows that were behind her.

"So, did you decide what you're going to do?"

Everly turned around again and watched as Brian dropped down into his chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him over her desk. His was in front of hers. It made it easy to assign tasks when there were partners. Often, two journalists did road work together but because Everly had her own column, Brian did most of the investigating and she did most of the writing. They made a good team, so why did he want to change that?

"Ric wants me to do it."

"What are _you_ going to do?" he asked her.

"I don't know." She said.

She turned on her computer and waited for it to boot up. It didn't take too long. Everything in this place was new and expensive. She signed onto the newspaper's website and scrolled through the questions on her gossip board.

"What are you working on today?" she asked as she pinned the question's she'd work on answering.

"I have to go talk to someone on Roy Street about a fire in a department store." He said.

"Sounds like a lot of fun. Feel like helping me when you get back? There's a couple of men on the board today."

Brian crossed his arms over his chest and smiled.

"Sure. Give me two hours."


	3. Chapter 2

_**Wednesday. 12:42 PM.**_

Everly had been writing since she walked into the office. She hadn't grabbed breakfast when she'd come in and now she was skipping lunch just to write this story AND update her column. Brian sat down in front of her and slid a paper plate her way. Chicken wrap. She could smell it.

"Take a break."

"Did you grab ranch dressing?"

"Shit, sorry."

She hit post on the story she'd been working on, after three spells checks, it was fine. She got up from her chair as Brian shrugged. The lunch room was busy, not the place she wanted to be but she got what she needed. As she walked out, she noticed someone she'd never seen before standing in front of the bulletin board.

"Excuse me…"

The woman turned her head and raised her eyebrow. Everly scanned the message board with her eyes again noticing finally, what was missing.

"Where is the information sheet about the editorial opening?"

"Oh, _that_? Mr. Donovan has someone in mind already. Too bad, though. You looked like you wanted that one."

She watched as those heels marched back down the hallway and disappeared around the corner to the elevator and probably back up to the floor where the more important people worked. She shook her head, disappointed in herself and walked back to her desk with the ranch dressing in her hand. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry.

She sat down at her desk, her body immediately sinking into the computer chair. She wasn't sure she could get back up to do what she needed to do. Brian peaked over his laptop screen and looked at her.

"What?"

"Did you see that lady?"

"What lady?"

"She was wearing a maroon pencil skirt and freaky high heels. She took that information sheet down off of the bulletin board and said that 'Mr. Pierce has someone in mind already". What kind of crap is that?"

Brian's eyes lit up and not in a good way.

"So, what does that mean?"

"It means I lost my chance."

Around three that afternoon, Everly got a flood of questions on her column and those were the only things keeping her from losing her mind. She loved her fans and she had a lot of them. She took her time answering every question that came in after the release of her new story and by the time she realized it, the numbers of writers in the office had dwindled down to her and Brian and three other people.

"You've been at that laptop for a long time…" he said.

"I know." she looked up from her screen and smiled at him.

"Something is going to come back up."

"I'm not betting on it, but it's okay. If I can get numbers of people like I did today, looking for advice, then I think I'll be okay."

"If you say so."

"Quit worrying about me."

Everly clocked out at almost eight that night. As she walked to her car, she realized she couldn't wait until she got home. All she wanted to do was fill her bathtub with bubbles and soak in the warm hot water, hoping that that would soothe he stupid worries. She was surprised as she pulled into the driveway to see that her brother was home before her. She unlocked the front door and walked inside. The house was quiet but she was so glad to be home surrounded by everything she knew and loved.

"Ric?"

Everly made herself a cup of tea and searched through the kitchen for something to eat. Leftovers. Cookies. Junk food. She grabbed the box of graham crackers and walked up to her room.

"Eric?"

She found him in his office, nothing but his boxers on, tapping away on his laptop. Everly leaned against the doorway and her brother looked at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Veronica fell asleep on me. I'm checking up on some things."

She rolled her eyes.

"Your "girlfriend" is sleeping over and you're not with her?"

"I told you she fell asleep. How'd work go?"

"Great." she said, biting a graham cracker.

"Just because I'm not looking at you doesn't mean that I don't know you're lying to me." He said.

"Ric, someone else got the job. They took the listing down off of the board today."

"What?"

"It's okay. I'm not going to dwell over it. I'm just going to make the best of what I have right now and that's… my column and my friends, my following and… ya know… you."

Ric got up quietly and walked over to her. With gentle arms he wrapped his sister in a hug and held on tight. She smiled to herself and melted into his embrace, feeling comfort in knowing that she had him always, no matter what.

_**Friday. 10:43 PM**_

Everly was the last one in the office for the first time in a long time. Why? She'd had an amazing day. The amount of new people signed into her column had her overwhelmed. She was finally getting ready to leave after working almost four hours overtime. With her bag over her shoulder, she made sure she had everything she needed before turning off her desk lamp. She stood up from her hair and looked around. She was the last person on the entire floor. Will, who worked part time as a night security guard was making his way down the hall to the firms office.

She started digging for her keys only to realize that her brother had taken her care because his was being worked on. She had to take the T home. Wonderful.

"You're here late, Everly." Will said, giving her a smile as he held the door open for her.

"I don't know why," she laughed a little. "I'm not impressing anyone."

"Would you like me to talk you to your car?" he asked her.

"No need. It's the train tonight." she told Will.

"Well then, you have a goodnight." He said.

"You too!"

Of course, he watched her as long as he could, which actually wasn't as long as he would have liked. Everly walked through the busy city streets to the train station in her dress. Her bag over her shoulder, she listened to the city around her. A gust of wind sent chills up her legs and spine, right to her neck and she suddenly wished she'd brought a jacket to work with her. When the wine blew for a second time, she turned around to look behind her. A man, seemingly a regular man was following her. Becoming aware of it now, she realized he'd been following her since she turned the corner out of Will's line of vision. Looking back in front of her, she tried figuring out a way to get to the train station quicker but there was only a direct route. Everly picked up the pace, her heels stamping angrily on the cement sidewalk. She pulled her phone out of her bag and slid her finger across the screen when she felt the heel of her shoe catch onto a crack in the sidewalk.

It happened fast and in the dark. She should have already screamed but she had no opportunity to. A salty, sweaty, dirty hand covered her mouth and any noise she made was immediately muffled. With a low laugh, the man in front of her sporting a baseball cap looked at her from underneath the rim.

"I'm gonna make this easy for you since you seem like a real nice lady and all. First, I'm gonna take you, and then I'm gonna take your bag and everything you got too." He said in what sounded like an off Australian accent.

She couldn't respond and she wasn't sure he wanted her to. His leg was between both of hers, the hand that wasn't covering her mouth was bunched up in her dress and she could feel the uncomfortable chills running through her body. What the hell was she going to do? What could she do? Fight. She could fight. She was not going to end up in a body bag with her brother staring down at her cold, dead face.

With all her strength, she shoved at the man in front of her but he only pushed harder. It was quick, but she took advantage of the moment where he tried to position himself closer to her; it left a slight amount of space between them. She dug her heel into the pavement and then lifted her knee as high and hard as she could. With a loud groan, ball cap doubled over in pain and she made her run for it but came short when a hand wrapped around her ankle. She collided with the pavement as he pulled her with a strong arm. She was pulled up from the ground in no time as all kinds of expletives flew from ball cap's mouth.

"Son of _a_—"

He was bigger than her, stronger than her and overpowered her but she still struggled even while the newly burning scrapes on her legs began to bleed. Her grabbed her by the shoulders and with a whoosh, slammed her into the brick wall. She felt her head start to spin as his hands found her dress again. This time, she screamed as loud as she could and that got her a slap in the face. Inhaling the brisk air, she tried to cool her head and when he came at her again she clawed him in the face and made sure to do it well. She could feel his skin and blood under her fingernails and forced a brave face as she tried her best to clear her head. He made a noise, something similar to a screeching car.

Everly heard her dress rip, felt his body in front of hers. Sweat broke out over her forehead. He mumbled something and then… there was noise she couldn't put to place. Rustling, a grunt and groan, the sound of shoes, another person's shoes against the ground. Feeling her legs give out below her, she slid down against the brick wall onto the rocky alley way pavement, her head pounding with every unnecessary movement she made. There was something going on in front of her, all of sudden ball cap was nowhere to be seen, not that she could see much through her hazy eyes and the darkness of the alley. Her left side burned and when her hand found her skin through the dress, she felt a warmth she couldn't understand. Slowly, she lifted her hand. Squinting through her pounding headache, she faintly saw dark on her fingertips and decided she was bleeding.

Within seconds, another shadow appeared in front of her. Through her slanted eyes she tried to make out the movement of lips but heard nothing here and there. Another man, in a suit, dark, she could see the glint of a watch and then nothing and then… everything again as her eyesight went in and out. Just her luck, she thought. The one night she decided to work overtime without her safe ride how and she almost got killed by a possible Australian psycho in a cold damp alley way two blocks from the train station. The sounds she was hearing sounding like something out of an old episode of Charlie Brown. She might as well have been deaf. The man in front of her waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked a few times, trying to save herself from the abyss that was trying to take her away.

"Are you alright? Can you hear me? _Miss…_"

"I'm…. I don't know." Everly mumbled.

"Keep your eyes on me, right here." The voice said.

Smooth. Sultry. In charge.

She had to listen.

She watched as he held a bright light to his ear and talked quickly and loudly. Something about… no ambulance being necessary but… his fast car would be… efficient and… the best doctor on call. And then, he was pulling her up as gently as he could possibly manage to.

"I've got you, alright?"

All she could do was mumble and she wasn't even sure of what she was saying. Somehow, he understood. She heard the door of a car being opened, felt the cold expensive leather underneath her and then pressure, a lot of pressure on her side.

_Dammit_. _Shit. Goddammit._

"What is someone like you doing out here this late by herself?"

Questions? Why was he asking her questions?

"Work. Late." She managed.

"Keep your hand right here, I'm going to buckle you in. What's your name?"

"Ev…erly."

_That IS my name right?_

She shook her head a little, realized it was bad idea to do that and cursed long and hard at herself. Don't move. Don't close your eyes.

Another car door. _Slam._ Keys went into the ignition. _Vroom_. The engine warmed up and then the car moved and they were off. She knew he was going fast.

"What do you for work Everly? You've got to talk to me." The man said.

What did she do? Was in business? No, not that. Oh. Right. Her blog.

"Writer." She said.

"What about hobbies? What do you like to do outside of the workplace?"

"I have a cat." She said softly.

_Ding. Slam. _

Cold air blew around her body, she felt herself being lifted into the man's arms. Someone was talking, voices were around her and then he was barking orders and taking charge of yet another situation. He stood in front of her surrounded by fluorescent light as the soft cushioning of probably a medical bed came in contact with her. She didn't recognize him, then again, he could have been the President and she wouldn't have known due to the intense fog surrounding her eyes.

"Where's the damn doctor I asked for?" the man hissed.

A couple of seconds went by, nurses were in her face, a blonde woman and then a brunette. He wasn't going anywhere and then a voice so familiar to her sent chills through her entire body as if she'd been electrocuted.

"_Everly?!"_

Voices, chatter hands against her forehead, moist cloth against her cheek and neck…

"What happened, WHO are you?"

Eric flew off on a tangent of questions while tending to the gash in her side where the blade of a knife had made contact with her skin. He told her to lay down and thankfully someone helped her. A sheet was thrown over her body as scissors did their work at cutting off the clothes she _didn't_ need to be wearing.

"Get him OUT of here." Eric hissed.

"I'm not leaving, you can do what you need to do with me standing right here."

"Call security."

Everly grabbed a hold of her brother's arm and everyone stopped moving. With what little sense she had left, she managed to look at him through her lashes. It only took a second. Eric, intelligent, witty, courageous, protective, brave, had been defeated by his little sister's puppy eyes.

"Fine. He can stay."

"Are you sure, Doctor?" one of the nurses asked.

"No," Eric said. "I asked you who the hell you were." He looked back down at his sister as she felt the poke of a needle in her arm. "I'm gonna fix you, you'll be fine."

Assurance was definitely what she needed.

_Drugs, thank GOD for drugs._

In the midst of the chaos, she heard the hustle and bustle of people around her and her brother demanding as ever, waiting for an answer from her knight in matte black.

"_Qu—."_

She couldn't follow the name, but the silence told her it must have been someone important.

She welcomed the abyss that came to her once more. She welcomed it gladly because she knew that when the darkness came knocking you accepted it like it was your friend. Sleep, the unknown, it all was the same in her eyes.


	4. Chapter 3

Eric Montgomery advised the police to postpone all conversation with his sister until the morning assuming she was okay by then. However, they took his sister's savior's statement into full consideration. Clearly, this incident had just been pushed to the top of the list. When Dashall Pierce gave an order, it appeared that everyone including the President was saluting in response. Business men.

Eric was not for allowing visitors all night but… he was his sister's boss… and he did save her life. Eric watched him watching her and wished like hell he could read the billionaire's mind. He looked back down at his sister's medical chart with weary eyes. He'd broken a rule by being the one to give her treatment but he happened to be in the ER… She had a concussions, enough scrapes to last her a while and thank god that knife wound wasn't deep. He'd run every test possibly to make sure she hadn't been poisoned.

The man that attacked her hadn't touched her, hadn't… raped her but God… It could have been so so much worse.

"Ric, I thought I told you to get out of here."

He looked up at the chief of surgery and ran a hand over his face. He handed the manila folder over to Roger Ellis and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She's going to be fine, Ric. You know that."

"I do."

The rich son-of-a-bitch that saved her was still standing by her bedside. Yeah, they'd moved her to a more comfortable room and yeah, he'd been told that she was going to be okay but he had still refused to leave.

"Take a couple of days off. I'm sure you can afford a few days' vacation."

"Rog, I—"

"—I'm so glad you agree."

Everly woke up with a severe case of the groggies. She knew she was at least and that settled her nerves. The man who'd saved her still clad in black, stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixated on something out of the window. In a second however, his eyes were on hers. He leaned off of the wall and bolted for the door.

"She's awake." He said.

In an instant, her brother flew into her room.

"Thank god," Eric mumbled coming to the side of her bed to wrap his arms around her. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

Everly shook her head.

"I'm alright…"

Eric pulled away from her slowly and reached for the bed remote. Sitting up was something she was grateful for even though her body ached terribly. She moved slowly, letting her muscles come back to reality now that she wasn't being thrown around like a rag doll. Her mouth was dry and she felt dirty all over.

"V brought you a bag of stuff to uh… freshen up."

Everly nodded slowly and looked past him toward the doorway.

"He's been here all night." Eric said.

"I have a headache." She mumbled, running her hand through her hair.

"You're going to have one for a while. You'll be sore too. You've got some scrapes and bruises and a good amount of stitches to take care of."

"Lovely." She muttered, pushing the blankets out of her way.

"Everly…"

"I need a toothbrush and a facecloth and a second to myself, Ric." She said.

With all of her things gathered in the bathroom and her brother right outside the door, she felt comfortable enough to give herself some sort of a sponge bath with the warm water from the sink. She wasn't going to look at herself in the mirror until she felt like she could. She changed her clothes, put on a bra and decided the basic t shirt and jeans combo was her only choice. After washing her fast, she finally had the courage to look at herself in the mirror.

God.

Staring at herself was not her best idea but at least she could see what had happened. The red mark on her face was still present and in an instant she wondered if she had makeup. She shoved her hands down into her bag and smiled. Veronica had thought of everything. She found concealer and some powder and dabbed at her face until she was satisfied. Everly pulled her hair into a pony tail high above her head and put on some chapstick. Feeling like herself, she walked out of the hospital bathroom after brushing her teeth.

Her brother helped her back onto the bed but she refused to lay down. Honestly, she just wanted to leave. She'd had it with the hospital and it hadn't even been a full day… or had it…

"The police came by." Her brother said.

"Who's the guy that saved me, Ric? He's familiar but I can't… place it."

Eric just smiled. It was a weird kind of smile, not as comforting as she wanted it to be.

"Let me go get the Chief. I'll let you two talk."

Her brother left her room and within a couple of seconds, the man in black came back in again. He ran his hand over his hair and then held it out in front for her to shake.

"Dashall Pierce."

Everly blinked a few times and sat up in her bed a little more. Of course she shook his hand but Jesus Christ. Her boss?!

"I realize… you were not exactly expecting someone like me." He said.

"No… not at all… actually."

Dashall Pierce pulled a chair over to her bed side and sat down slowly, looking at her. She looked better than she had last night.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Like I got mugged," she said. "It wasn't very… smart of me to assume that I could ust… leave the office late at night and walk by myself—"

"—I can assure you that the man who did this to you is behind bars. Right now actually," he said straightening himself. "Take a few days off," he stood up. "Report back to the twentieth floor. My office."

"What? Why?"

Dashall Pierce narrowed his eyes, not because she was annoyed with her but because someone else had apparently done something wrong.

"Annalise did not tell you, did she."

"Tell me what… what's going on?"

"The position you applied for, I chose your application. I'll see you on Wednesday, one PM."

Everly had been released later on that afternoon with her brother by her side. He was told to "go home" as well and he was told to stay there by the Chief himself. The house was quiet and with the door shut, Everly could finally breathe.

"So, what did he say to you?" her brother asked her as he pointed to the couch in the living room.

"Apparently I applied for that editorial position and… got it."

"What?"

"That was my reaction. I didn't apply to anything. I didn't even think that guy knew who I was. Wrong. Wrong about it all." She said as she sat down on the couch.

Her side itched, she knew it was going to drive her crazy but there was nothing she could do about it.

"I need to call Brian."

He sat down next to her. Clearly, he didn't know what to do with himself and neither did she. Things were about to get a whole lot more interesting.

"How do you feel? You alright?"

"I'm just tired really… you don't have to say here with me, Ric. Go take Veronica out."

"Be quiet." He said.

_Wednesday Afternoon…_

Everly pressed the speaker button and put her phone down on her vanity table before opening her closet doors. She had no idea what to wear and more than anything, she wished that Jillian was here with her but that wasn't a possibility.

"Wait, what? What did you say?"

"It feels like a long story but it's really not that long…"

"Are you alright? What the hell, Everly." Jill asked.

"I'm fine, just scratches, it was honestly all a blur and I can't really remember much other than waking up in the hospital."

"I'm coming home."

"Jilly, you can't come home for me"

"I'm not coming home for you, I'm coming home because I've done all that I can do in Spain. Being able to come home to you is an added benefit." Her best friend said.

"Okay, fine. So, when?"

"Friday. You'll just have to hang in there until then."

"I've done pretty well, Jillian."

Her fried laughed on the other end of the line.

"I have to go but I'm going to call you tonight."

"Okay, just give me a text before you do so because I don't know what the day is going to be like."

"Will do. Bang out that interview, okay? Love you."

Jillian hung up before Everly could respond with a good bye herself, leaving her alone with her closet. She showered, took her time picking out her outfit and made sure she looked presentable. She felt little confidence in herself though… Not even in her favorite dress, a maroon colored Daisy Fuentes piece her brother had given her for her birthday last year. She had the look down. All business, all professional but she didn't feel like she had much of a shot and for some reason that made her mad.

She had curled her hair lightly and brushed them out to leave the waves because anyone knew that a full head of curls for a business interview was like a no no. Everly left her glasses on her end table and popped her contacts in.

At 12:30 right after she'd finished a small salad and brushed her teeth for the second time, her doorbell rang. Everly pulled her jacket on, grabbed her bag and walked to her front door. She had her keys in her hand and was ready to go when she realized the man at her door was here to drive her. He was dressed in a finely tailored suit with dark glasses on his face. She could have easily driven herself.

"Miss Montgomery." He said.

Everly held out her hand for a hand shake but the man in front of her, instead, took her keys and pulled her door shut, locking it soon after.

"I'll be driving you to the office this morning," he said. "I'm Mr. Pierce's driver, Damon." He said.

"This is so weird." She mumbled.

"This way, ma'am."

She followed "Damon" down the stairs of her house and over to the sleek black car parked in front of the fountain. Her driveway was somewhat of a round about where you pulled in and had to drive around the fountain in order to get back to the street. There was a cut off though and that's where her old jeep sat in its spot in front of the garage nestled in the back behind the trees.

Damon opened the door to the black Mercedes and in she climbed. Instantly, she felt overwhelmed by the smell of the rich leather seats. Her jeep did not smell the way this car did. The driver drove very smoothly out of the driveway and out into the street. It did not take long for the heavy city life to wake her up, cause her to look around…

"Do you work for Mr. Pierce?"

Well obviously that was a dumb question, clearly he did. He drove for him. He was the driver.

"I'm his driver yes, among various other things." Damon said, almost as if it were rehearsed.

"Oh." She said.

Everly looked out the window again just as the massive building she worked in came into view. Suddenly, it felt all too different to her and she wasn't sure why. Damon pulled up in front of the building and got out of the car. When he opened the door for her, she was grateful for the fresh air. Pulling her bag over her shoulder, Damon led her through the revolving doors past the front desk and into an elevator. He hit the button for the 20th floor and slipped out of the elevator before the doors closed, leaving her alone.

20th floor.

She had never been there before. Ever.


	5. Chapter 4

Dashall Pierce stood behind his desk, cell phone in his ear, staring out at the city scape below.

"You don't seem to understand what I'm telling you, Dash."

"Sebastian, I can handle our father. I just need you to hand tight while I finish what I'm doing here."

On the other end of the line, Sebastian Tulane Falcone grumbled, unhappy with what his brother had to say.

"He could go at any time right now and it's imperative that you be here."

"When he does, I will be there. Until that happens, I need you to keep an eye on things and make sure that Andre and Jake are keeping the company running smoothly. Everything seems to be okay, stocks are holding, the wine is being sold in numerous locations across the world, the vineyard is doing well. I just need _you_ to be the big man on campus until I get home."

A knock at his large office doors had him turned around in a second.

"Mr. Pierce, your appointment?"

"Send her in, Amelia," he said to his assistant. "Bash, I have to go. You know how to reach me should trouble arise."

Another disapproving sound filled Dash's ears before he finally hung up. His assistant Amelia held open his large office door and Everly Montgomery walked into his office. He couldn't peg her emotions, but he somewhere knew they were all over the place.

"Thank you, Amelia," Dashall said, politely. "Miss. Montgomery, you look well."

"Thank you." She said.

He moved away from his desk and gestured toward the small couch by the coffee table and black cushioned chairs.

"Please, sit."

He watched as she sat down in his posh black chair. Her eyes floated around his office momentarily before he leaned back against the front of his desk, waiting for her eyes to meet his. He stood gracefully, he was trying to be polite.

"I read your column every day. You have a talent for connecting with people through your poetic words." He told her.

"I'm… a writer. It's easy for me." she replied, a small smile taking over her face.

"I want to tell you why you're here, so listen up," she raised her eyebrow at him and for some reason, it made him… "I am not offering you the editorial position. I want to offer you a management position. I've read your resume and it is extensive. You've had many different writing jobs…"

"I haven't really been exposed to the business side of… all of this. I wouldn't know what to do. I've just figured out the system for downstairs…"

He looked at her, smiled because he was amused, and ran through the rest of what he wanted to say to her.

"Do you have any idea what is actually done in this building?"

"Yes… and No."

"Not only does this building house my newspaper but it is also the hub of my entire technological empire. I want you here managing everything that we write. There are always mistakes made and I don't have the time to read through every single document. You would still, of course, be able to run your column. In fact, I was hoping that you would be interested I making it exclusive." he told her.

Dashall could see the twinkle in her eyes at the mention of making her column a vital part of the newspaper. It meant a lot to her obviously.

"I've paid quiet a lot of attention to your… talents Miss. Montgomery."

She at trying to figure him out, but he knew, being a man with much experience, that no one ever had enough energy to figure him out. Could she be the manager he wanted her to be? Well, he'd just have to find out. She was lost in thought, and he wished she could be the bug on her brain's wall, listening to the things that were swarming around her mind. He called her name once, twice… but she was still stuck in her own head.

"Everly."

_Finally. Christ._

"Are you alright?" Dashall asked her.

"Why am I here? Is this some sort of pay back for getting attacked the other night?"

"No, Miss. Montgomery, it is not _pay back_. It's an opportunity."

"I was told I'd be talking to you about the editorial position. Is this a ploy t—"

"—I'm aware of what you were told. However, I redefined the position, you fit the criteria I'm looking for in an employee, and so I am offering the position to you."

Abruptly, his office door opened and Amelia, who was not so cheerful at the moment, looked at her boss.

"Mr. Pierce, Arnold Teague is here."

Briefly, Dash glanced at his wrist where his Rolex lay. How had twenty minutes gone by so fast already… How had that happened?

"He's early, Amy. Please escort him to conference room 3. I'll be along."

"Of course, sir."

Dashall looked down at Everly's eyes, and for a moment he felt himself captivated. She stood up slowly with her bag looped around her arm. He wanted more… more of a conversation with her… more time with her…

"Miss. Montgomery."

"Everly, just Everly." she told him.

"Everly then."

Everly watched a smirk play out over Dashall Pierce's lips. Something foreign to her shot through her body, warming her from the roots of her hair to the very core of her body. It was like an electrical jolt and it continued to grow as soon as he handed her his card. Their hands brushed together, it was just a second of touch. A split… second.

"You'll think about my offer?" he asked her.

"Absolutely." she said.

"Come then… I'll walk you out."

She pulled her bag over her shoulder after shoving the card inside it. A strong hand clasped the silver bar that acted as a handle and pushed the door open.

"Should you decide to accept the position tonight, I'll arrange for your things to be taken to an office on this floor. I hope you'll call me tonight." He told her as they walked past that Amelia woman at the front desk.

_Call me?_

It could have had a double meaning. Did it? Of course not. This guy was her boss. Her. Boss. She watched as he reached forward and pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Thank you for allowing me to meet with you."

A ping sounded, letting them both know that the elevator had arrived and the doors were open.

"I'll… think about all of this and get back to you." She said to him.

"I'll be waiting."

_5 PM. The Maltese_

Everly didn't bother changing her outfit at all. However, she pulled her hair down and snagged her glasses from home. Jillian had texted her the address of the restaurant and she plugged it into her GPS. She started her jeep, comforted by the sound of the engine. Driving this thing in heels? Piece of cake. In no time, she was on her way.

When she finally pulled up to the curb of the restaurant, a man in a well-tailored suit walked around to her driver's side and opened her door. Of course this place had a valet. She grabbed her bag, made sure she had what she needed and handed the man her keys.

"Your ticket, ma'am."

She smiled politely and walked up to the gold lined front doors. Another man reached forward and opened the door, holding it for her so that she could walk inside. Sure enough, it was exactly what she expected and yet… She walked up to the podium where a host was standing.

"Lancaster for two." She said.

He looked down and flipped through the reservation book. Grabbing two menus, he looked up at Everly and smiled.

"Right this way, ma'am."

Everly followed the host through the restaurant past crowds of people and couples eating dinners. She pictured every man she saw with Dashall Pierce's face and instantly wanted to slap herself. Of course, the table Jillian reserved for them was in the _VIP_ section and empty. She sat down and put her bag on the floor beside her chair.

"I'll have a server sent over right away."

Again, she had to smile because she really didn't know what to say. A minute or so later, a waiter introduced himself as Jack and handed Everly a wine list. The cheapest bottle was marked at fifty dollars so that was the one she chose. Five minutes later, Jillian Lancaster sat down in front of her best friend. Immediately, Everly felt herself shrink.

Jillian Lancaster was the girl straight out of every magazine on the stands, the girl every man loved. Her tanned skin against her golden blonde hair radiated in the dim restaurant light. It hung around her shoulders in heavy curls. Her eyelashes were thick with makeup and her lids had this beautiful shimmering silver shadow that mirrored the blue in her eyes nicely. She was the woman in every man's dream.

"You ordered the cheap wine?" she huffed, gesturing for a waiter.

When Jillian snuck a peak at the wine list, she sighed, looking up at the waiter whom Everly had recalled was named Drew.

"Do you have a D'Oliveira? It's a vintage… circa… '57."

"Jill."

"No, no... Would you mind checking for me?"

She batted her eyes at the waiter who really had no idea what to do next, much like Everly. She smiled up at him with her pearly whites and he hurried off.

"Evvy," Jillian turned back to her. "Are you okay? Seriously, you left me hanging earlier today."

"You're amazing, you know that? All you have to do is bat your eyes and people turn into jell-o, putty in your fingers, they do what you want them to."

Jillian smiled again. "I just have the charm I guess."

Everly smiled, shook her head slightly and leaned back against the cushioned chair.

"How was it over there?"`

"Well, it was hot," she said. "Internal affairs is pretty much the same everywhere you go. Ace and I are no closer to solving this case than we were two months ago. Anyway, that's boring talk… Tell me about Mr. Rich and Powerful."

The waiter who had been captivated by the eyes of Jillian Lancaster returned with a brand new bottle of red wine. When Everly saw the dollar amount on the price tag, her eyes almost rolled right out of her head.

"Relax, babe. It's like a pack of gum to me. You'll be grateful when you get a taste."

Jillian was right. Boy, was she right. Everly wasn't a connoisseur of any sort but she could taste the richness this new wine had to it as opposed to the "cheap" fifty dollar bottle she'd picked out. When she finally got around to picking up a menu, she ran through the many choices. Everything look good considering she'd only had a small salad for lunch. She settled for a chicken and eggplant park dish while Jillian ordered appetizers and then both of their entrees.

"So, spill the beans, girl." Jillian said as she picked up her wine glass.

"He had a car pick me up at my house. He has a driver, like he literally has a man on standby to drive him around."

"Okay, yeah, not a shocker. What else?"

"Well, I thought that I would be talking to him about an editorial job for the newspaper. Instead, he offered me a management job over seeing all the company's written documents and… I guess it's like an editor's job…"

"Seriously?"

"The entire thing was intimidating. I'd never been up onto the 20th floor before. There is a separate elevator that those who work on 20 take. It's like they're not even a part of the building until they reach the 12th floor. It's bizarre.

"I wanted to throw up the second that I walked into his office. A couple of nights ago I was working late, writing for the column and making sure the things I had to do got done. I ended up leaving the building late and because it had been a busy week I was taking the train in. Ya know, to avoid traffic. So, I had to take the train home."

"Do you realize how dangerous that is? God, any man could just…" Jillian shook her head. "Okay, and…"

"So some creep followed me. I had my pepper spray all ready, or at least I think I did. But, he was too fast for me, I had heels on, and… push came to shove. I was against the wall, ready for, well not ready but whatever… And then out of nowhere, some man comes, throws the thug off of me and… that was it."

"Knight in shining armor was Mr. Big and Business?"

"I woke up the next morning in the hospital with him staring at me. I had no idea who it was at the time. He said some things, and then he was gone. Eric walked in all macho big brother, telling me that was my boss and I swear to god, I almost fainted."

Jillian let out a chuckle. "What else did your brother say?"

"Jill, he didn't leave my bedside all night. He sat there, stood against the wall, _whatever_ all night long."

"Probably because he felt like an asshole for giving you so much work which caused you to work late, which caused you to leave late, which caused you to _walk_, god you silly girl. I can imagine how guilty Business was."

"Anyway, he gave me his card. Said to call him tonight if I wanted the position."

"_What_? Call him!"

"I don't want it," Everly said. "I'm happy doing what I'm doing."

Food was put down in front of them and because she was already dying for it, Everly grabbed her fork. Not only did it look and smell good, but the taste was amazing and she knew that if she kept eating, she wouldn't have to answer any more of Jillian's questions.

"He's so put together." Everly said.

Instantly, Jillian looked up at her, a smirk playing out over her lips. Even though she didn't _want_ to talk about Dashall Queen, she ended up opening her mouth anyway.

"I'm serious, Jilly. He knew what I wanted to ask him when I did ask him stuff. He had all the right things to say, right down to the reactions he had. He knows people. It's like what you see is what you get. He's intimidating."

Jillian grabbed her wine glass again and put her fork down.

"Well, duh. He's one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world. He owns a ton of crap."

"And look at me, Jillian. I'm an orphan with two college degrees working my ass off to get to the top. I'm not going to take an offer if it's handed to me out of pity on a silver platter."

Jillian bit the inside of her cheek, smiling slightly.

"Whatever you said, Evvy. I'm behind you with whatever you decide."


End file.
